Executive_Committee
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 MEETING of the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
3:30 p.m.
25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 70
Minutes
Commission President P.J. Johnston called the meeting to order at 3:45 p.m.
- Roll Call
Commissioners Present
P.J. Johnston
Beverly Prior
Jeannene Przyblyski
Sherri Young
Commissioners Absent
Maya Draisin
Alexander Lloyd
Staff Present
Interim Director of Cultural Affairs Nancy Gonchar
Interim Deputy Director Catherine Direen
Public Art Program Director Jill Manton
Cultural Equity Grants Program Director San San Wong
Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie
- Interim Director’s Report
Ms. Gonchar distributed invitations to the October 1 event. She reported that at the last department head meeting, the Mayor spent several minutes talking about what a great job the Arts Commission is doing, and encouraging other departments to cooperate with the Arts Commission when called upon. He specifically mentioned the Louise Bourgeois and Bill Fontana projects.
Ms. Gonchar reported that she and Public Art Program Director Jill Manton met with Recreation and Parks Department General Manager Yomi Agunbiade and members of his staff regarding Guide Post, the artwork by Brian Goggin for the Moscone Recreation Center. Despite a revision of the design by the artist, himself a climber, the Rec and Park staff are firmly opposed to placing the artwork at the center for fear that visitors will climb it. The department has agreed to commit $100,000 to do another piece in its stead, and has requested that Guide Post be sited elsewhere, possibly near the pool at 19th Avenue, at Marina Green, or at India Basin near the Blue Greenway. Staff is continuing discussions.
Commissioners and staff generally discussed the advantages of pooling public art funds from small improvement projects to do fewer but more significant artworks, as against Rec and Park’s concern that all parks be served; there was agreement that both goals could be achieved.
- Fiscal Year 2007-2008 Budget Addback
Ms. Gonchar distributed the final spending plan for the 2007-2008 budget addback. She explained that the one-time addback is a result of citizens lobbying the Board of Supervisors. The plan calls for more money to go into grants from the existing Cultural Equity Grants and Community Arts and Education programs, for public art in Bayview, for WritersCorps sites in the Mission and Bayview. The initially-proposed banners will be replaced with posters of Mayoral Arts Award honoree Ruth Asawa and her artwork.
Commissioner Prior moved to accept the plan, and President Johnston seconded; the motion was passed unanimously.
Motion to approve the budget for the $550,000 Board of Supervisors’ addback to the Arts Commission’s FY 2007-2008 budget.
- Arts Commission Committees
President Johnston explained that he and Commissioner Przyblyski had discussed the workload of the Visual Arts Committee, which could fill two agendas a month. Commissioners agreed that increasing the number of members on the Committee would not necessarily improve the situation, in part because that would increase the difficulty of getting a quorum. In the meantime, President Johnston appointed himself to the Visual Arts Committee, replacing Commissioner Przyblyski for the following day’s meeting, which she was unable to attend.
Commissioners discussed the Mayor’s recent call for resignations of all appointed Commissioners and department heads; they will have to wait and see which resignations he will accept. Some concern was expressed about the potential for seats to be vacant for a long time.
Commissioners agreed that the Director search would require a lot of time in the next month or so.
Returning to discussion of the Visual Arts Committee, Commissioner Przyblyski said that the current meeting schedule doesn’t have enough time for both serious brainstorming and policy discussions with fully engaged Commissioners along with the amount of project management the Committee has. President Johnston pointed out that some other Commissions have long weekly meetings, although they aren’t necessarily discussing policy. He said that while at the beginning of his tenure meetings were very short, Commissioners have expressed an interest in fuller discussions that allow more substantive use of their expertise. While theoretically the full Commission could revisit any decision made by a Committee, both staff and Commissioners generally assume that the Committee has done its work and its decision should stand.
President Johnston said that some Commissioners are interested in serving on different Committees, and he anticipates some changes in Committee memberships.
Staff and Commissioners mentioned a few ideas about how some of the Visual Arts Committee’s more routine work, such as the approval of plaques, could be streamlined. President Johnston suggested that most useful to the full Commission would be presentations on upcoming projects and larger initiatives. He suggested a presentation by Facilities Manager Tom Petersen on the Cultural Centers, and Commissioner Prior suggested a presentation on the Muni shelters, as recently given to the Civic Design Review Committee.
- Update on Search for Director of Cultural Affairs
Ms. Gonchar, Ms. Direen and Ms. Manton left the meeting as President Johnston began the discussion. He explained that he had asked Commissioner Young to be part of the search committee because of concern that Commissioner Lloyd may not be able to commit the time required, and because the Committee lacks diversity.
He reaffirmed his commitment to keep the interview process moving quickly. Commissioners agreed not to call in any candidates for “courtesy interviews,” and to see only the strongest candidates. They also agreed to put no more than two candidates forward for input from the Mayor.
President Johnston reported that he had spoken with search consultant Heather Renschler just before this meeting, and she has placed ads and reached out to arts commissions and arts councils around the country.
Ms. Wong spoke on behalf of some staff, saying that the position has not been well-advertised, that the job description had not yet been posted on the Arts Commission’s website, and that applicants would have only two weeks to apply before the September 30 deadline. She said staff is concerned that there should be broad input.
President Johnston said that it has been clear since April that the position was open, and he agreed that he would like to have had hard copies of the announcement and links posted online the day after the last meeting. But, he said, by then Ms. Renschler had already interviewed 30 stakeholders. He said that the Mayor’s Office has clearly told him that the position should have been filled by now.
Commissioner Przyblyski said that a good search is a product of the people on staff and on the ground getting the word out, and she cautioned against too much focus on the specific activities of the search firm. She agreed that drawing the process out would not serve the Commission or the agency.
Commissioner Young added that she has not see the announcement on any of the several weekly listservs she receives. President Johnston said that Ms. Renschler reported receiving many letters for the position, and that he has heard from at least twenty interested people, whom he directed to the search firm so as not to prejudice the decision. He reiterated that the job has been open since mid-April, and that the process should keep moving.
Commissioner Przyblyski added that if the Committee begins interviewing in early October and an excellent candidate appears on October 15, they wouldn’t exclude that candidate. Commissioner Prior requested a report from Ms. Renschler of where the job is listed.
President Johnston said that Ms. Renschler has been hearing concern from candidates that the salary is too low. Commissioners discussed the salary, the fact that this is a City job, with benefits beyond the salary, including the ability to affect policy, and the possibility of any exceptions being made to the Civil Service classification range. Commissioner Przyblyski suggested that an abstract discussion of whether the salary range limits the pool of candidates is premature, and less meaningful than a specific discussion about a specific superior candidate unwilling to accept the position because of the salary. President Johnston agreed to take the Americans for the Arts salary study to the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Phil Ginsburg, and explain that the salary is a topic of real concern.
President Johnston said that Ralph Andersen is a top-notch firm which has brought really good people to the City. He expressed frustration with the length of time it took to finalize the contract, and then with hyperattention to presentation materials. He was hopeful that all the discussion within the Commission and the agency has prompted people to actively participate in the search and refer candidates to the firm.
Finally, President Johnston said that the Committee would definitely meet on its regular date, October 16, and might meet in closed session to review candidates on October 5. He planned to meet with Ms. Renschler before then.
- Public Comment
There was no public comment.
- Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:05 p.m.
spr 9/25/07
